Saira Khan and Janet Street-Porter have spoken out in defence of Coleen Nolan after claims that some Loose Women stars refuse to work with her emerged.
Over the weekend, it was reported that Nadia Sawalha, 57, Carol McGiffin, 61, and Stacey Solomon, 32, had all had falling-outs with Coleen, 56, and were not willing to appear alongside her.
Coleen denied the claims on social media and said they would be addressed on the show.
Responding to the claims, Saira, 51, who quit the ITV show last year, said that Coleen is “not the problem”, while also making a veiled dig at some unnamed panelists.
The Apprentice star wrote on Instagram: “Having worked on this show Loose Women, I can tell you for a fact it’s not Coleen Nolan that is the problem here.
(Image: ITV)
“Ganging up on another woman like this in public is disgraceful. There are a lot of smiling crocodiles on the show that fool the public for their own gain. So please don’t be fooled by the ****.”
She went on: “When your mate is being unfairly treated. Step up for them. That’s what mates do!
“Don’t watch by the sidelines and be scared to speak up because you are worried about what others will think if you get involved. Grow a pair and do the right thing. That’s what loyalty, integrity and sincerity is all about.”
(Image: ITV)
Janet, 75, also spoke out in Coleen’s defence, tweeting: “I love working with Coleen Nolan and we’ve never had a single disagreement – sorry if that’s not ‘news’ xx.”
The claims of backstage tension reportedly started after Coleen’s agent Melanie Blake labelled Nadia a “nasty witch” on social media.
Melanie has since denied the claims that Loose Women stars have said they will not work with Coleen.
(Image: ITV)
The original report also claimed that Carol had had a falling-out with Coleen, while Stacey had told producers she didn’t want to work with the singer when she returns from maternity leave next month.
A source told the Mail on Sunday: “Stacey is the latest person refusing to work with Coleen, which is proving really tricky. Everyone loves Stacey, as do the viewers, so nobody wants to upset her.
(Image: INSTAGRAM)
“It’s a show that is supposed to promote strong women working together, respecting one another’s views, but it’s currently the case that what is going on behind the scenes is quite the opposite of that and much more dramatic.
“All of the dynamics and the fallings-out have left the poor producers with such a conundrum. It’s a job in itself getting the panels right, but with these added issues, it’s proving tough.”
Loose Women airs weekdays at 12.30pm on ITV
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
